WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — William & Mary cross country opens the 2026 season Saturday at the Spider Alumni Open at Pole Green Park Cross Country Course in Mechanicsville, Va.
The men's 6K is scheduled to begin at 9:08 a.m., with the women's 4K following at 9:50 a.m. The meet will be contested on the same 2K loop course used for the 2023 and 2024 USATF National Cross Country Championships.
Saturday marks the first cross country meet under William & Mary Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Adam Smith.
Tribe News and Notes
- William & Mary returns to the Spider Alumni Open after both the men's and women's teams finished second at the season-opening meet in 2025. The Tribe men scored 80 points, while the women finished with 59.
- Junior
Caleb Wilcox is the top returning men's finisher from last year's Spider Alumni Open after placing 15th in the 6K with a time of 18:35.7. Senior
Hayes Trapp finished 20th in 18:37.3, while senior
Will Griesmer placed 19th in 18:36.7.
- On the women's side, junior
Maddie Gypson and sophomore
Veronica Znajda are the top returning finishers from last year's meet. Gypson placed 15th in 14:10.0, while Znajda finished 18th in 14:15.2.
- Trapp headlines the returning men's group after earning All-CAA and NCAA Southeast All-Region honors in 2025. He placed third at the CAA Championships for the second consecutive season before finishing 23rd at the NCAA Southeast Regional in a career-best 10K time of 30:14.9.
- Wilcox and sophomore
Eli Phillips also return after earning All-CAA honors last fall. Wilcox placed 13th and Phillips finished 15th at the CAA Championships as the Tribe placed four runners among the top 15.
- Junior
Molly Weithman leads the returning women's group after earning All-CAA honors for the second consecutive season. Weithman placed 13th at the 2025 CAA Championships as William & Mary finished as the conference runner-up for the second straight year.
- William & Mary's 2026 cross country roster features a strong returning distance group on both sides, including Trapp, Wilcox, Phillips, Gypson, Weithman and Znajda.
